Venus Flytrap Care

Venus flytraps are not hard to care for. Venus flytrap care is really easy, as long as you don't over complicate it. And as long as you pay attention to a few "do's" and "don'ts".

Your Venus Flytrap is just like your other potted house plants - it needs the right kind of soil, lots of light, and water. But the conditions that Venus Flytraps really like is a little different than your average house plant.

If you bought a small Venus Flytrap in a small pot with a clear cover, the first thing to do is get rid of the cover. There is this mistaken idea that Venus Flytraps thrive in a humid, tropic like atmosphere. And they are sold with clear plastic covers that are supposed to maintain the humidity.

Poppycock!

If you want to take care of Venus Flytraps, get rid of the clear plastic cover. Venus Flytraps are native to the southeast United States, in the coastal areas of North and South Carolina - these are not tropics. The purpose of the clear plastic covers is an attempt to create a high humid environment for your carnivorous plant.

I lived in North Carolina for 15 years. And I lived on the coast. It is hot and muggy in the summer - just like the rest of the United States. In the winter, it is cool and wet, gets down to freezing, and even snows! This is not the tropics. And as I show you elsewhere in this website, carnivorous plants native to North America, NEED a cold winter to properly grow the following year.

Containers and Soil

Venus flytrap care includes the right kind of soil and container. Be sure the container is made of plastic or glazed ceramic. Do not use cement, concrete, or terra cotta containers. The minerals in the container will leach into the soil and either kill the plant or stunt it's growth. Try to use a chemically inert container.

Venus Flytraps grow in swamps and bogs in the southeastern United States. Your goal to growing a successful Venus Flytrap plant is to replicate that environment. Your soil should be a one-to-one mixture of peat and sand. Do not use Miracle grow peat moss - it has fertilizers. Do not use sand from your backyard or from the sandbox where your kids play. Again, the minerals in the soils can kill your plants. Purchase sterile sand from garden supply stores.

And place at the top of the soil a layer of spagnum moss. This will help retain the soil's moisture.

Water for Your Venus Flytraps

Venus flytrap care includes creating an environment your plants will thrive in. And water, the right kind of water, is important. Used distilled water, or capture rain water and use this to water your carnivorous plant. Do not use tap water. It has chlorine and other chemicals that will damage your plant. In addition, Venus Flytraps grow in an acidic environment. Tap water from most municipal water supply systems is slight basic, so as to not eat away at the pipes. You need water that is slightly acidic. And rain water is perfect for that.

Light for Your Venus Flytrap

Proper care for your Venus Flytrap includes giving your plant lots and lots of sunlight. And putting your plant next to a florescent light bulb is not the right kind of light. Again, think about the native environment. The southeast of the US gets lots and lots of sunlight.

So give your Venus Flytrap what it wants. Your Venus flytrap will need to get at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day in the summer. This is not a shade plant. Sunlight is a good thing.

Great locations for your plants include south facing decks, sunny porches and windowsills.

Fertilizer is a Big No No

Lastly, do not use fertilizer on your Venus Flytrap. No matter how tempting it is. No matter what you read on the label of your plant you purchased from the store.

Don't use fertilizer.

Venus Flytraps feed on insects because they live in nitrogen deficient soils. And the insects they catch provide that nitrogen. If you supply nitrogen, you will kill your plant.

Don't use fertilizer.

Venus Flytrap Care Summary

Venus Flytrap care is a pretty simple thing once you understand that your plant is like other plants. It needs soil, water, and light.

It is just that it grows in an acidic, nutrient deficient, very moist environment. Focus on providing these things for your plant, and your Venus Flytrap will thrive and grow as you care for your plant.

92 Responses to Venus Flytrap Care

Hi
I bought a vft about 6 months back it’s already tried to grow a flower which I cut back and is now growing new traps
Thank you for posting your tips for growing and up keeping your vft without this I would have been lost

Hi Mike,
I used miracle gro natures care organic and potting mix with water conserve. It says that it has alfalfa meal, bone meal, earthworm castings and kelp meal in it… Are my fly traps going to die!? I also used the miracle gro sphagnum peat moss because that was the only peat moss they had. I have the soil mixed with sand sitting in a terracotta pot inside a glass “terrarium” with sand at the bottom and rocks. I have it filled to about a 1/4 or less of water to last the weekend that I wont be here. I just want to know if the soil and moss are okay for them?
Also how often should I feed them?
Thanks,
Natasha

I cannot tell you if your VFT plant is going to die, but I can tell you that you are NOT mimicking the natural growing conditions for this unique plant. It catches insects and digests them because it lives in a soil poor in nutrients such as nitrogen. Less is more.

Will it last? Only time will tell.

Part of the joy of gardening is experimentation. You have to try something, and if a plant dies, and what you tried doesn’t work, then you learn from that and try again.

You cannot figure all this out without some trial and failure.

But you should pay attention to work done by those successful in growing a plant. And in this case, this means learning about a Venus Flytrap plant from others who successfully have grown them.

Did you read the article at all? You listed at least three things he specifically tells you NOT to do. So yeah, keep not doing what is recommended and then wonder why your plant dies. Do a little bit a research and learn the proper care instead of asking for someone to hand you the answers on a silver platter.

I just transplanted my vft in a container with gravel at the bottom and i used organic potting soil with no synthetic fertilizer. It is called Pennington Natural and Organic garden soil. Has.03 nitrogen
.02 phosphate. Has a low analysis fertilizer blend of processed softwood bark, peat. 65%-75% aged pine bark and peat. Will my vft be ok?

hi, mike my name is paul and i,m from england, i, bought a vft kit from a store, i have done everything the instrustions say but i get the seedlings to germinate but then wither and die. i am using distilled water and the proper type green house thing it comes with. all the seeds in the kit died and bought new ones but the same get so high the wither and die. i would really like to grow one from seed but finding it really difficult.

Hi Mike! Leanne, living in The Netherlands. I bought a venus fly trap lovingly named Mario by my 5 year old step son (as there are venus fly trap like plants in super mario). Me and my partner are arguing over how best to water him. He says it needs to be in a saucer with water all the time as it needs to be wet, i however, have read that it needs to be moist but not wet, and that keeping it in water is likely to rot the roots and subsequently kill our Mario. Mario is a young plant with 7 mouths and the pot is about 10cm deep. Any advice?

I’ve never heard someone naming their plant quite like yours! Mario. Very original! My advice is to experiment. Moist yes. Even a little bit more. Just don’t let the roots dry out. Then it’s done. I went on vacation for 3 weeks, and forgot to have someone water the plant. It dried up. And it’s dead. Having the pot sit in a saucer of water probably won’t hurt it. But you have to experiment. Hope this helps. Mike

I was wondering what temperature and how much light a vft should get when it is approximately 1 month old after it sprouted it seems to be burning up some. The temps in Missouri are currently in the low 90’s with real feels of over 100

Hello Mike ! Sheila in England. Thank you so much for all the info on here, so very helpful. I have just bought a young VFT, named Vinnie the Fly! With eleven mouths. My question is: If the mouths open, does it mean the plant is hungry? Or do they just open without needing food. When I bought it all the mouths were tight shut, now they’re opening ? Thanking you in advance for any comments – I dont want him to die! really am a novice, aren’t I!

My VFT currently has a large stock with buds and I expect it to flower soon. It otherwise seems healthy; however, it does not have any traps on it. It is growing new leaves but haven’t seen a trap in a few months. Is there any way I can encourage new trap growth? Thanks!

I saw a guestion from someone in texas that wasnt answered. I have the same question. I live in louisiana and do not have a winter that gets below 45 or 50 except for a few days a month. What do i do about a dormacy period

I really wouldn’t worry too much about it. If you live in a climate which you can basically grow the plant outside, then I would do that! And if the years go by and your plants do well, then you have been successful. And if not, then you can think about trying other things such as bringing the plant inside the house, and even placing the plant in your refrigerator.

Gardening is experimental. You want to do your research and put the odds of success on your side, but the only way to know is to try to grow.

Good Day,
I’m trying to grow 2 baby plants, one had 4 “mouths” and the other was just the seed pod with 2 stems..I left it outside one day in 65 degree weather and all 4 mouths died and fell away… in one day? When I fed it blood worms, the “mouth” would close and never open again? I’m using distilled water, taking it outside 4 hours per day (the other 8 is spent in a sunny window FYI Are my plants completely dead if the mouths fell off? Thanks
Thanks

I live in South Africa, I’ve had a VFT for over a year now. It has been thriving so much that I’ve had to replant it. It’s been about 3-4 months since I repotted it and it’s been doing just fine. Growing like crazy. Now all of a sudden all the traps, new and old including the leaves are turning black. I have not changed watering (rain water) or position since I got it. What could it be? I have other traps on the same sill and they are all doing fine.

I LIVE IN A STATE WHERE EVERYTHING IS BIGGER! THE PLANTS ARE BIGGER, THE CLIMATE IS BIGGER, EVEN THE FOOD IS BIGGER HERE.

MY CONCERN IS WITH THE DORMANCY OF THE VENUS FLYTRAP IN MY STATE. HERE IN TEXAS, THE CLIMATE IS NOT ALWAYS COLD IN THE WINTER DURING SOME DAYS. IT STARTS TO GET CHILLY AROUND LATE OCTOBER AND MID NOVEMBER. BY DECEMBER IT IS CHILLY ALRIGHT WITH THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE BEING AROUND 60F AND SOMETIMES THE TEMPERATURE REACHES BELOW 40F-30F SOMETIMES GETTING AS LOW AS 10F IN SOME OCCATIONS. HOWEVER IT IS NOT LIKE THAT EVERY DAY. WITH THE MESS THE CLIMATE IS TODAY WITH GLOBAL WARMING AND ALL, THERE ARE SOME DAYS WHEN DURING THE WINTER, WHERE THE FULL SUN COMES OUT AND IT GETS QUITE HOT HERE IN TEXAS, AND THE TEMPERATURES JUMP HIGHER THAN A JACKRABBIT IN A HEATED FRYING PAN!

I HAVE MY VENUS FLYTRAP OUTSIDE IN AN EAST FACING PORCH. WHERE THE SUN SHINES ITS LIGHT ON IT EVER SINCE IT RISES FROM THE HORIZON IN THE EAST AT 6-7A.M. TO AROUND 10-11A.M. WHERE THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE STARTS TO GIVE IT SHADE FROM THE 12P.M. FULL BLAST SUNLIGHT.

ONCE THE WINTER MONTHS HIT, AND MY FLYTRAP IS SENT INTO DORMANCY BY THE CHILLY MONTHS, MY CONCERN IS THAT DURING CERTAIN DAYS OF THE WINTER MONTHS HERE IN TEXAS, THE HEAT MAY RETURN FOR A DAY WITH A FULL SUN AND INTERRUPT THE DORMANCY MONTHS OF MY FLYTRAP CAUSING IT TO REAWAKEN AND SOMEHOW STUN ITS HEALTH AS IT DID NOT GET ITS FULL DORMANCY.

ON ANOTHER NOTE, THE WINTER MONTHS HERE IN TEXAS LAST UNTIL MID MARCH WHERE IT STARTS TO GET HOT. HOWEVER DURING THE FEBRUARY MONTH, THERE ARE CERTAIN DAYS WHERE THE HEAT RETURNS WITH THE FULL SUN AND STAYS FOR A WEEK OR TWO, BEFORE THE COLD COMES IN AGAIN AND STAYS UNTIL MID MARCH HITS AND LEAVES TO NOT RETURN FOR ANOTHER YEAR.

SO MY QUESTION IS… WILL MY PLANT BE OK DURING THE WINTER DORMANCY MONTHS HERE IN TEXAS OR WILL IT BE REAWAKENED IN THE MIDDLE OF ITS SLUMBER BY THE CERTAIN HEATING DAYS TEXAS EXPERIENCES EVERY NOW AND THEN EVERY WINTER?

Hi. I just bought a VFT for my son today. We took it out of the box, and within minutes, it started to wilt. My son touched the traps to make them close (I told him later that he shouldn’t do that). The traps are solid green and on long stalks. The stalks are wilted and the “spikes” on the edge of the traps are curling up. What can I do. We have it in our sunroom.

dear mike, i have a VFT in my home and it is doing fine. My problem is that i also have a kit that contains VFTs and some other carnivourous plants and only small sprouts I am worried about what you said because they are growing in a dome, but i think that if i take it off the other plants wont grow what should i do??????

Zoe, this is a challenge. The pitcher plants are probably from Central America (tropics) and the VFTs are from temperate North America. Not the same growing conditions. When you can you should probably transfer the Venus Flytrap plants to a different container. – Mike

i just recently bought a VFT an so far it’s looking great. but i am also growing a carnivorous plant kit that has VFT in it. but that kit is in a dome and it says it will take about a year for them to fully grow, there are no sprouts yet and i’m worried they wont grow because of the dome and i’m also worried because if i take off the dome the other plants wont grow what should i do mike????

Mike, I’m fairly new to Venus fly trap growth. I’ve done a lot of research before buying mature plants, but I still have a lot to learn I’ve figured out.

My problem is, I planted my Venus fly traps in a mix of Miracle Grow sphagnum peat moss. I didn’t realize until about 3-4 days later that the soil had fertilizer in it :/ i have 11 plants total. (I bought two pots from a botanical center, in poor condition, which contained several VFT in each, various sizes) 3 of which are a medium size. The rest are pretty small. Most of the small ones are drooping, brown, and dying. One of the larger ones is as well.

As soon as I figured out I was killing my plants, I went and bought natural peat moss from a nursery instead of Lowes. I tried to clean off the roots of soil as much as possible with distilled water in a spray bottle, and then repotted in the correct soil. So now my question is.. Is there anything I can do now to help the plants? Do you think the plants will survive? (talking about for new growth, not the dead/dying leaves). And my third question is, is there anything else I can do to save my VFT? Thanks!

Thanks for your comment. But I really wish that you had purchased my Venus Flytrap Growing guide. Because you would have realized right away, that using ANY kind of fertilizer is bad for your Venus Flytrap plant.

It sounds like you have taken some corrective steps, but you won’t know if the plants will survive until time goes by.

i bought 65 flytraps and they came in plastic tray cells, and i have put them outside and it was so hot i think about 95 degrees and at night i found about 28 of them from were all black burned . can you tell me is that the temperature that did that to them??

Wow, that’s a tough one. But it sure sounds like they got burned from the sun.

Any plant you received, typically has grown in a controlled environment. And before you let it grow outside, it has to be “hardened”. Which means exposing the plant, over time, to the outdoors. And outdoor sun and heat and wind.

So yeah. It sounds like you should have been a little more patient and put them outside a couple of hours a day, and allowed the plants to “harden”.

Hi, I recently purchased a bit and it amazingly captured flies right away. I live in Wisconsin and have it in a south facing window. I haven’t seen this question addressed yet: when it kills the fly and depletes it, it then opens with the dead fly intact. Should I be removing these dead fly’s so it can capture more? Also at what point do you cut back the tall flowering stem? Thanks so much!

If you see the tall flowering steam starting to grow, cut it off immediately. It takes nutrients from the plants to grow the flowering stem, and remember the Venus Flytrap plant is growing in a nutrient deficient growing medium – there is only so much nutrients in the plant. Let it grow the flower, and growth of the lobes will slow down.

Don’t worry about removing the flies. Let nature take it’s course. The dead fly will fall out or be washed out with watering/rain. The trap only captures a few times, so don’t worry about it.

I just bought a very small VFT, and stumbled across your site looking for information on how to care for it properly. I’ve been looking into how and when to re-pot it because the pot it came with is quite small. The issue I’m struggling with is the potting medium it came with. It is potted in a small 2″ diameter pot that is filled with some type of moss? The moss is mostly beige with a bit of green towards the middle of the pot. So, I know that it is potted in a live moss, but that’ small that it’s potted in.

As I said the moss is mostly beige. Does that mean the moss is dying? Is it healthy for the plant to stay in this potting material? Should I re-pot now, and if so do I remove the potting material it’s in now or put the new material around and leave what’s there alone?

This page has been very helpful so far in giving some info I haven’t found elsewhere such as the bit about not using terra-cotta pots.

I just bout a VFT today however most of the leaves look to be dead. The leaves are either brown or black and only one maybe two are green and there is NO reaction/movement from any of them. There was this paper type stuff being used as the soil and that was bone dry so I watered the plant till water came out the bottom with water that was sitting out for 24 hours…… was this a waste of money? Are they all dead? Did I water the plant right?

Not a waste of money if you learn something about growing these plants. And if you are unsuccessful, then purchase another plant and try again. Learning about plants and actually growing them is something that takes time… and you build knowledge upon knowledge.

Set the plant in a shallow dish. Water with DI/distilled water only. Trim away the dead leaves. Set it in the sun.

You can overfeed VFT. Remember, it is a plant. Not an animal. The Venus Flytrap plant can survive without capturing and digesting insects. Avoid the temptation to interfere with the plant’s natural cycle. Let it grow and capture insects on it’s own.

hi, the leaves on my venus fly trap are turning brown around the edges. I suspect this is a sunburn, but what should i do? Should i continue giving the plant sun or leave it in the shade? I am worried that leaving it in the sun will make the sunburn worse. Thanks!
-kristen

Kristen, I haven’t seen your plant, but I suspect that the problem is not sunburn, or too much sun, but something else. What kind of water are you using? Does it have enough water? How long have you had the plant?

My VFT was a gift not quite two months ago. It looked rather sickly and just sat there… Finally it started putting up a few new leaves slowly one at a time. But the immature traps turned brown while they were still tiny. I lost a couple of leaves too. Then a bloom spike started up! I suspect leaf/trap production might be better if I removed the spike but I would love to see it bloom. Do you think I need to remove it? Currently it is almost 4 inches high. My main question is concerning watering. Rather than sitting it in a bowl of water, I was able to pull a piece of yarn up through the bottom of the pot into the medium. The outside end of the yarn is in a container of distilled water with the pot suspended above the water, so I am wick-watering. I don’t know what medium the plant is actually in as I did not repot, I can only see moss at the top of the pot. It feels moist all the time but not soggy. (As the water evaporates through the top the wick pulls more into the pot.) I read the comments that too much water can cause brown traps and leaves, but this doesn’t seem like it is as wet as sitting in a bowl of water would make it. Advice please! I’ve killed a few VFT in my time and I’m determined to make this baby grow!!!!!

You seem to be doing well with the plant. If you got it sickly, and now you see new leaves coming out, you are doing the right things.

Regarding the bloom spike, I would recommend cutting that off because that takes a lot of energy from the plant, and at this stage, your plant is still struggling. I know you would love to see it bloom, but I recommend that you wait until your plant is a lot more healthy.

Wick watering is fine as long as the soil medium stays moist. I have a Venus Flytrap plant at work sitting in my window, and I just have the plant sitting on a dish of water. That seems to work fine for me.

Hi, I recently received my traps from Montana through the mail. They clean through the mail well packaged but inside a mound of moss. the instructions on the packaging told me to just plant them as is in the correct type of soil, so I did. However, I don’t know if I was supposed to remove the moss and the seller has yet to get back to me. I know the moss will help them retain moisture, but is it really necessary to completely cover the plant except for a few exposed and small traps? there are blackened traps in some parts of the moss and I’ve tried to move the moss from those ones. I don’t know what to do. I really don’t want them to die.

No, you don’t need the moss. The moss is used to keep the plant warm, protected, and maybe moist too. But don’t cover the plant, it will lack light. Also, you should groom your VFT. Just get a small pair of clean scissors and cut the fully dead leaves off. Only cut them off if the whole thing is black.

Hello, I bought a Venus FlyTrap two days ago and I have some questions. I’ve done some research but I’m still unsure on things. First I took the plastic cover off so I just have a little plastic pot that it sits in. Should I repot yet or not? Also, I killed a fly and put it into a trap and moved it till it closed but to the next day the trap was slightly open where I could see the dead fly! I live in North-Eastern Penmsylvania, any beginners advice would be appreciated, thanks!

Hello, I got a Venus FlyTrap two days ago and I have done some research but I am still unsure. I took the plastic cover off and move it in and outside as it gets warmer and cooler. Also, I have killed a fly and put it into the trap moving it with tweezers till it closed, and the next day the trap had semi opened where I could see the fly! Should I keep it in the tiny plastic pot it came in or should I repot. I live in North-Eastern Pennsylvania. Thanks for all the advice… Cullen

Yes take the plastic cover off. Leaving the plastic dome on can kill your plant. Don’t worry about feeding your Venus Flytrap plant or repotting. Focus instead on the three things that matter the most – light, water, and soil.

Hi! I just bought a VFT yesterday and I really need help. It is in a plastic done with a little pot. I live in Phoenix AZ, but I don’t know what to do! I put it in an aquarium with a cup of water for humidity, but please help me!

Don’t know what you mean about leaving your plant in water. The plant should be in a potting medium that stays moist. I have a small Venus Flytrap plant that I keep at work, and the pot sits in a dish of water, so the potting medium doesn’t dry out.

So try that.

Just don’t let the soil dry out.

And make sure you use the right kind of water. See my growing guide secrets here:

Hi ive just bought a venus fly trap. ive re potted it, gave it the right type of soil and spagnum moss.
i live in england and its freezing over here in winter, i was wondering if it will be alright with just sunlight during the day, i feel i have to take it off the window sill at night as temperatures drop around the window and i dont want the cold to get to it. i want to find a sort of cover to put over it to keep some humidity at night, what would you suggest?

I have a Venus Flytrap plant that I bought just before Halloween, and I have it at work against a south facing window. It is rather cold outside, and this isn’t the warmest place, but the plant is doing just fine.

Remember that the plant is native to the swamps and bogs of North and South Carolina, USA, and it does get rather chilly in the winter there. So my advice is to not worry about the cold getting to it. The plant may slow down in its growth, and may even go dormant. And that is part of the natural growing cycle. As long as it is getting sun and the right kind of water you should be ok.

a question , I got my plant thou the mail its in a small pot with a plastic enclosure to act as a terrarium, how long does it take for the plant to grow thru the soil ? I have had it for 2 weeks and see nothing coming thru . I must think it is a seed ! Thanks MIKE

First of all, did you buy a plant or a seed? There should be difference in the price and what was sold you. Did you buy it from online or at a local store?

Secondly, unless you live in the arid Southwest like Arizona, get rid of the plastic enclosure – keeping the plastic lid on the pot is guaranteed to steam your poor plant to depth. At this time of year in CONUS, there is plenty of humidity for your plant in the air.

Just make sure the pot gets some sunlight and that your potting soil doesn’t dry out. And once a plant starts growing, give it lots and lots of light.

hi mike,
i have had my venus since dec 2013,a few hiccups in the beginning but now the traps are growing like crazy and the flower stem (stalk) is about 13 inches long,but top with the flowers is all dried out.how long before this plant bears seeds?how often would you have to replant venus to a larger pot? this plant in its pot stands in small bowl in +/- one half inch of water(centimetre) and i keep it topped up nearly every day and have excellent results…….Dudley.

Dudley, would love to see pictures of the plant! Sounds like you have a green thumb when it comes to raising Venus Flytrap plants.

I don’t know where you live, but if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, and your plant just had flowers, then it is out of sync with the natural seasons… it should flower in the spring after dormancy. Don’t know if you will see seeds…

My VTF will be given a place outside in full glaringly bright, all day sun. It has been looking a bit sickly recently and traps have been turning black before fully formed. Still sprouting new leaves often, but they don’t get far before dying. Thought maybe too much sun was the problem, but sounds like I will be doing it a disservice by moving it inside or shadier position…

Sounds like a plan. Let us know how it goes. I cannot tell you how many plants over the years I have killed by over watering. I had to learn the hard way.

Fredd, I would love to see pictures of your plant, some now and some when healthy again. I have to figure out how to allow readers of this blog to upload photos… have to keep the spammers at bay and I don’t want to deal with graphic licensing issues…

I am looking into how folks can include in their comments, images from Pinterest or Flickr. Would be more fun that way!

I need a little more information. You say you bought a Venus Flytrap Plant, and want to know what to plant it in? Well, what kind of pot or soil did it come in?

Did it come packaged with just bare roots? If so, you need to plant it in a plastic pot with sphagnum moss and maybe a little clean sand. DO NOT use anything with fertilizer. You want a nutrient deficient soil.

If it came in a pot with soil, then do nothing for a while. The plant has been under stress from shipment, and you need to let it settle down and get used to it’s new growing condition. After a few weeks, feel free to transplant your plant to a bigger pot. See above for soil types.

thanx for your info. I immed. removed pot from tray of distilled h2o and put plant on cool windowsill. hope this will bring it thru winter o.k. will buy some more vft in warmer weather so I can summer it outdoors with my other plants that like it sunny and warm.

purchased vft in dec., all traps turned black, small leaves and traps growing from center, don’t know whether to take outdoors for winter, or continue growing under my E5 fluorescent bulbs until spring. live in zone 5, temps can go to 0 which is much colder than n.and s. Carolina. thanks. fascinated with carnivores since childhood, now in 70 s.

I am not an expert, just an enthusiast. But if you bought a venus flytrap plant recently, and then the existing traps turned black, with small leaves and traps growing from the center, it seems that it is going through the cycle it needs to go through.

Just a heads up, if traps turned black, be sure you are not overwatering your venus flytrap plant. You don’t want to have mold or fungus problems.

If your winter temperatures can drop to zero degrees F, like where I live in Oregon, I wouldn’t take it outside, that would probably be too much. But it does need a little cold in the winter, so it can cycle through dormancy.

Taking care of your Venus Flytrap plants in the winter depends upon where you are located. If you are located in the temperate growing zones in the US, you probably don’t need to do much. If you are located further north, then you probably want to bring your plants into the house during the winter.

Think about where these plants grow in their native habitat – the eastern swamps of North and South Carolina – and seek to replicate this habitat.

Good question. Some things to think about are, that the plants don’t need to catch and feed insects everyday. They are feeding on insects to extract nitrogen. All other nutrients they will obtain from the soil or moss.

And if it is winter, the plants don’t feed on insects much at all, if at all. In fact the plants go dormant in the winter and do not feed at all.

It might be fun to get a few mealworms and use these to feed your Venus Flytraps, but if your plant is not in an enclosed greenhouse, insects will find the traps and be captured.

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